The Truth Revealed
by Marina Dawn
Summary: What if Rikki's parents weren't her real parents? What if two certain demigods parented her? And if her father is the son of the Sea God, maybe Rikki was destined to become a mermaid on Mako Island. Takes place in early first season of H2O.
1. Ch 1: Adopted

_**A/N: Just a crazy idea that popped into my head. I don't know where it came from, but love it or hate it, I decided to post it. **_

**FULL SUMMARY: What if Rikki's parents weren't her real parents? What if two certain demigods parented her? And if her father is the son of the Sea God, maybe Rikki was destined to become a mermaid on Mako Island. R&R.**

* * *

Rikki tried not to laugh as Emma jetted away from a pesky jellyfish and made a beeline straight for Rikki. Unfortunately, her plan didn't work out too well, seeing as Emma's face upon return to her friend was stunned and confused. Rikki burst into inaudible laughter and Emma pursed her lips, as if to say, "_Yeah, very funny_." Rikki shrugged apologetically, and with a flick of her tail, she was gliding easily toward the surface. She smiled as she broke the surface, sucking in the fresh air.

"What were you planning?" she heard Emma ask as she popped up beside her. "You weren't just going to leave me down there all alone, were you?" Rikki smirked.

"Oh, you're a smart girl," she replied. "I knew you'd be fine." Emma rolled her eyes playfully and did a backstroke.

"Are you ready to head to shore?" she wanted to know, after she had successfully shown off by doing a back-flip into the water and reappearing as if nothing had happened.

"I guess so," Rikki sighed. "I hate to leave, but my mum wanted me home early anyway, so..." Emma smiled.

"Any idea why?" she wondered aloud. Rikki shook her head.

"There's no telling," Rikki said. There was an awkward silence as Rikki thought about her parents. Emma and Cleo were lucky that their parents were at least somewhat normal. Hers were just...different, somehow. However, they weren't so different that they'd call her home early when they knew she was heading out to swim (even if they weren't aware of _all _of the details). Emma cleared her throat.

"Um, Rikki, are you-"

"Yeah," Rikki interrupted. "Yeah. Let's go."

**()()()()()()()**

Rikki opened her front door and peered in. With a sigh, she stumbled into the house and set her beach bag by the door. Her parents had to be around here somewhere.

"Mum? Dad?" she called warily. "Mum?" She frowned and made her way into the front room, where they usually were, but they were nowhere to be found. She decided to check the kitchen-her Mum, after all, had a tendency to do her best work there.

She checked half-heartedly, but to no avail. As a last resort, and after checking nearly everywhere in the house, she stopped outside her parents' bedroom door and listened.

"...but I just don't know how she'll take it." Her Mum's voice was low and calm, and she heard her Dad reply softly.

"I understand that," he whispered. "I'm worried too. But if we don't tell her, _they'll _tell her, and she'll never trust us." Rikki's brow furrowed. Were they crazy? It was bad enough that she was a mermaid-now her parents had gone insane as well? Without waiting to hear any more than what she had heard already (and certainly without thinking first), she clicked the doorknob and opened the door hastily. Mr. and Mrs. Chadwick looked up, surprised.

"Um, uh," Rikki stuttered stupidly. She shook her head, as if clearing disturbing thoughts from her mind. She decided not to mention to her parents that she had been eavesdropping. "You two wanted to see me?" Her Mum smiled gingerly.

"Yes, Rikki," she said. "Here, sit by me." Rikki obliged and picked at her fingernails nervously. Mrs. Chadwick shared a hurried glance with her husband before turning to her daughter. "Now, you know we love you, Rikki. And-and you know we do everything to protect you, don't you?" Rikki looked back and forth between her parents, worriedly.

"Mum, what's going on?" she demanded. "Dad?" Mrs. Chadwick shushed her daughter softly.

"Please, Rikki," her father pleaded, "just give us a chance to explain?" Rikki bit her lip.

"Go on, then," she pushed. "Explain." Mrs. Chadwick looked pained, and looked to Mr. Chadwick pleadingly. He cleared his throat.

"Rikki, we are your parents," he began, "and we love you. But...we're not your..._biological _parents." Rikki gasped.

"_What_?" she muttered. "But...you're...it's just...what?" Mrs. Chadwick shook her head.

"There's more than that," she murmured. "We are your adoptive parents, and your real parents...well, they're demigods." Rikki blinked.

"Demi...demi-what?" she asked, confused and hurt. Her Dad thought for a moment.

"You've learned about the Greek gods, right?" Rikki nodded slowly. "When a god has an affair with a mortal, and, well..._young _is produced, the child is called a demigod, or half-blood. And both of your biological parents are demigods." Rikki blinked again.

"I can't honestly believe that this is happening to me," she said. "I mean, all my life, you've told me nothing but a big, giant lie!"

"It was all to protect you, sweet!" her Mum cried. "You know that. Demigods lead dangerous lives. If you had known the truth sooner, something very bad could have happened." Rikki almost laughed. She felt herself literally going insane.

"Something bad could have happened," she repeated. "Oh, nice to know. Ah, and since we're spilling our deepest, most mythical secrets, maybe you should know that I'm a _mermaid_!" Her parents froze.

"You're _joking_," her Mum breathed. "That's impossible, Rikki. You're lying to us."

"No! No I'm not!" Rikki insisted. "I know you'd like to believe I am-and oh, I'd love to believe you were joking about the demigod situation-but I'm _not_! I have been a mermaid since the day I was rescued from Mako Island." Neither of her parents spoke this time. Rikki took a deep breath to cool herself down.

And then she ran to her own room, trying her hardest to dream this all away.

**()()()()()()()**

Percy Jackson huffed impatiently for about the thirtieth time. The airport was crowded and noisy, which didn't help Percy's uneasiness. He glanced over at his wife, Annabeth, who was typing away on the silver laptop that the inventor Daedalus had presented her with so many years ago. It was hard to believe that in twenty-four hours they would meet their daughter for the first time in forever.

At first glance, no one would suspect that Percy and Annabeth parented a teenage girl. This was because soon after Annabeth had given birth to Rikki, Percy and Annabeth were made immortal so that they could always be camp counselors at their beloved Camp Half Blood. Due to this, they were frozen in their twenty-two year old forms for eternity. In reality, Percy and Annabeth were around thirty-eight or so years old.

"What are we doing here?" Percy demanded. Annabeth glanced at her husband.

"What do you mean, what are we doing here?" Annabeth asked. "You know that already. We're waiting awhile for this crowd to clear so the Mist will be easier to manipulate-_that _way you can summon Blackjack, no problem."

"No, I mean here at the airport," he replied, "when we should be meeting our daughter?"

"I promised the Chadwicks a little more time to explain this to her so that when we arrived, it wouldn't be so overwhelming," she shrugged it away. "Can't you just be patient, Seaweed Brain? The girl's got a lot to think about."

"Yeah," he muttered, "and so do I." Annabeth couldn't help but smile. She closed the laptop and leaned over to peck Percy on the cheek.

"Come on, relax a little," she suggested. "We'll only be here for a little while longer. Then we'll hop on Blackjack, fly to the hotel, and relax. Before you know it, we'll be standing at Rikki's front door." The mention of her name made Percy shudder.

"Yeah, I hope everything goes that smoothly."

**()()()()()()()**

Rikki opened her eyes with difficulty. They were dry and sore from all the crying she had done during the night. She lifted her head off of her tearstained pillow and realized glumly that she had a throbbing headache. Suddenly, a thought popped into her mind. Tears...they were _water_, weren't they?

Worriedly, she lifted up her bedclothes to find none other than her tail, shimmering and scaly. She groaned. As if things could get any worse.

She rolled out of bed and succeeded in only causing a muted thud-a noise which was moderately common in her household and wouldn't cause much of a disturbance, anyway. Whatever happened, she couldn't let her parents-

Oh, yes. She'd told them about her being a mermaid, hadn't she? She'd almost forgotten, actually. With a whimper, she flopped to the bathroom and dried herself with a towel. When she rose, she caught a glimpse of her weary form in the mirror, and winced.

Her curly blonde hair was knotted and messy. Her blue-grey eyes were bloodshot,

her face blotchy. She wore a miserable expression, and her shoulders were slouched. Every inch of her body was aching. A short couple of raps on the bathroom door startled her out of her trance.

"Rikki?" her Mum's voice, cracking and raspy, said. "Are you in there?" Rikki stared ashamedly at her appearance before answering.

"Yes, Mum," she replied. "I'm here." There was a pause.

"Would you come and have breakfast with me?" Mrs. Chadwick inquired. Rikki rubbed her face.

"Does breakfast involve talking?" Rikki answered her mother with another question.

"No," Mrs. Chadwick promised. "Not on your part, anyway." Her voice sounded hopeful. After a moment of thinking, Rikki opened the door. She met her mother's blank stare.

"I'll be down in a bit," she promised. "Let me change." With a rapid nod, her Mum headed to the kitchen, muttering worriedly to herself.

Rikki changed out of her pajamas and into a baggy t-shirt and shorts, typical of her. She even half-fixed her hair. She combed it out, but didn't bother to fix the frizz as she braided it evenly. When she appeared in the kitchen, she found her _adoptive parents _drinking coffee together. Her Dad looked up as she entered and cleared his throat.

"Well, good morning, Rikki," he greeted, as if nothing had happened the night before. Rikki wasn't very fond of this approach.

"Morning," she nearly snapped as she sat down at the breakfast table. Her Mum let out a troubled sigh.

"Well, Rikki, won't you have some coffee with us?" she requested. Rikki looked down at the table.

"Alright," she mumbled, nearly incoherently. Mrs. Chadwick nodded and left an awkward tension hanging between father and daughter. Mr. Chadwick sipped his coffee quietly as Rikki braided and re-braided her fluffy hair. Her Dad finally broke the silence.

"I can see why you're angry," he noted. "All your life, you've felt this very strong connection to us, and now it's as if we're strangers. Is that it, Rikki?" Rikki didn't answer. Her father shifted. "Your real parents _loved _you, Rikki. And we love you, too. Had we not, we wouldn't have agreed to protect you. It was by your biological parents' request, you know." Rikki furrowed her brow.

"I know that." Everything was quiet for awhile after that.

Mrs. Chadwick returned to the table with a steaming mug of coffee for Rikki and a warm washcloth. Rikki almost smiled-it was just like she had done when Rikki tried coffee for the first time at eleven. Spills were nobody's friend, after all.

"They're coming today," Mrs. Chadwick said to no one in general. Rikki clenched her fist around the handle on the mug.

"Who?" she asked, though the question didn't need an answer. Everyone at the table seemed to sense this. Rikki's Mum cleared her throat.

"They really do want to meet you, Rikki," she said, with obvious forced cheerfulness. "They're planning on taking you to the beach."

"I don't need them to take me to the beach," Rikki growled. "I go to the beach _every day_. It's unnecessary."

"The least you can do is to be nice to these people, Rikki," Mr. Chadwick interrupted. "They wanted the best for you since the day you were born." Locking eyes with her father, Rikki began to feel extremely guilty. She took a few sips of her coffee before speaking again.

"I'll go," she stated, barely above a whisper. Mrs. Chadwick smiled, and her husband winked.

"'At a girl," he praised. "Now go wash up before they get here. You wouldn't want them to see you like this." Rikki swallowed the last of the steaming hot coffee, and decided to use her last bit of courage before she broke down again.

"They're going to see me like this, and they're going to like it."

* * *

_**A/N: So yes, very spontaneous and...out-there. Oh, and I'm from the U.S.A...I've never used the word "mum" so many times in my life! (: **_

_**Review!**_


	2. Ch 2: Swimming

_**A/N: Thanks for reviewing, Indiana Joanna! I wanted to reply, but unfortunately you have PM disabled :( So I'm thanking you here! :)**_

_**Here is the next chapter.**_

_**[I FORGOT TO DO DISCLAIMER LAST CHAPTER :P]**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or H2O.**

* * *

"Stop!" Annabeth said suddenly. Blackjack swooped down and landed quickly, making Annabeth feel nauseous. "Uh, thanks, Blackjack." Percy hopped down first, then reached up to help Annabeth off of the Pegasus. Once they were both alighted, they waved goodbye to Blackjack.

"You sure this is the place?" Percy inquired. Annabeth nodded.

"Yeah, this is the Chadwick's house," she confirmed. "Are you ready?" Percy shook his head.

"Not really," he answered honestly.

"Well, you've waited long enough," Annabeth pointed out. Back at the hotel, Percy had been shaking very badly in anticipation for this moment.

Annabeth linked hands with Percy and took the nerve-racking first step, while Percy soon followed. She squeezed his hand encouragingly and they walked forward. Before they even made it to the door, Mrs. Chadwick was rushing towards them.

"Percy, Annabeth," she greeted cheerfully. She smiled and invited them inside. Once in, they sat down gracefully and Mrs. Chadwick asked if they'd like any refreshments. Annabeth glanced at Percy.

"No, I think we're fine," she replied. Mrs. Chadwick nodded, but looked down as if something were troubling her. "Is something wrong?" Mrs. Chadwick rubbed her neck.

"Well, if you don't mind my asking," she began, "how exactly do you look the same as you were the last time I saw you?" Annabeth grinned, but Percy answered.

"We're immortal now, Mrs. Chadwick," he explained, "for various reasons, but mostly because Camp Half Blood is our favorite place in the world." Mrs. Chadwick looked about to respond, when her husband and a teenage girl with messy blond braids approached.

"Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, I'd like you to meet Rikki," Mr. Chadwick said, "your daughter." Annabeth locked eyes with the girl and became immediately stunned. She looked more like Annabeth than Percy, honestly. She had the same curly blond hair, just a bit lighter (Annabeth guessed being in the sun so constantly could do that to a person), and she even had grey-blue eyes, though where exactly the blue came from she wasn't sure. Annabeth let out a quiet, "Oh," and turned to Percy.

Percy was just as mesmerized by Rikki. He wondered if his genes even played a role in this girl's anatomy-he never actually paid attention, but he remembered some time during school when he (well, his class, anyway) had learned about dominant and recessive genes, and how, apparently, males were usually holders of the dominant genes. Percy guessed not.

Rikki felt both of their gazes on her and blushed. She wanted to look away, but she was just so stunned by their appearance. Her real Mum had a deep tan and curly blond hair like Rikki's, but her Mum's hair was much sandier than her own. She had round, grey eyes full of insight that gave off an aura of intelligence. Her presence comforted Rikki.

Her father, on the other hand, wasn't as tan as her mother, but definitely worked out a bit-he was nothing but muscle from head to toe. He had messy, jet-black hair and stunning sea-green eyes, much like Rikki's had been when she was younger. She always wondered where the green eyes of her early life had come from, but now she knew.

What startled her the most about _both _of them was that neither one of them looked anywhere near like the middle-aged Americans she had pictured in her mind. They both looked to be in their early twenties, which gave Rikki a very awkward feeling.

"Look at you," Annabeth finally spoke. "Oh, you're beautiful. Don't worry, we'll have fun today. No tension, alright? You're going to be fine." Rikki blushed even deeper.

"Um," Rikki replied nervously. She glanced at Mr. and Mrs. Chadwick before continuing. "I have a question." Percy and Annabeth looked at her expectantly. "I know about all this 'demigod' business, but I wasn't aware that two middle-aged parents were going to be, in reality, twenty-something years old. If you wouldn't mind explaining..." Percy explained how immortality was a gift from their camp counselor, Chiron, at Camp Half Blood, a camp for people like themselves where they trained for survival.

"And you're both demigods?" Rikki asked. Annabeth nodded firmly.

"I bet this is a lot for you to take in," she said. Rikki didn't respond to that.

"Well, what do you say we head down to the beach for a swim?" Percy suggested. Rikki frowned.

"I can't go for a swim," she said, "not with other people there." Annabeth and Percy looked confused.

"Why not?" Annabeth inquired. Mrs. Chadwick cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, but I think there's something you should know," she interrupted. The two of them waited. "Rikki...well, she's a mermaid." Their eyes widened.

"You're kidding," Annabeth murmured, stunned. Rikki shrugged.

"If I were, it wouldn't be too funny," she pointed out, her usual sarcastic self. Percy shook his head, then broke into a goofy grin. Rikki raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"My dad," he said, "is Poseidon, god of the sea, and _you, _my _daughter_, are a mermaid!" Rikki mulled over that for a moment before grinning herself.

"Huh," she said with wonder. "Well, I guess that's pretty ironic, then." Annabeth smirked.

"You know, you're just like your dad, in every way," she teased.

"I hope that was a compliment," Percy muttered. Annabeth nudged him playfully before turning to Rikki and offering a hand.

"Shall we?"

Rikki bit her lip. She reached out and joined hands with her mom. Her _real _mom.

Maybe this would go okay, after all.

**()()()()()()()**

Rikki showed Percy and Annabeth to Lewis' classified fishing spot, and turned to them readily.

"Okay, so I'm going in," she said. "If you guys...well, let's think for a minute." Percy snapped his finger.

"Trust me," he said. "I'm the son of Poseidon. I've got it." Rikki watched as Percy and Annabeth waded into the water before her, then went under. After a couple of minutes, Rikki figured they were either dead or in control of everything, so with a shrug and a deep breath, she ran and dove.

The feeling of the salty water around her was warm and familiar. She smiled against the foam of the waves and waited ten seconds, until her legs transformed to her tail. She dove straight down into the water in search of Percy and Annabeth.

She found them holding hands in a large air bubble, smiling as she swam over to them and treated the bubble as if it were very fragile. Percy assured her that nothing could go wrong and the bubble was practically impenetrable. Rikki smiled as a devious thought entered her mind. She zoomed away from her parents as fast as she could and grinned widely as she imagined their stunned expressions as they watched her speed away; and what was even funnier was imagining them trying to catch up with her.

Rikki stopped swimming a little while down the reef and turned to see how far back Percy and Annabeth were stuck. Rikki was startled to realize that they were right behind her, Percy smiling smugly and Annabeth looking like she'd just seen a ghost.

"Lesson number one: do not challenge your aquatically skilled father," Percy said. "I can control the water, too, you know." His voice was muffled from the bubble. Rikki crossed her arms and watched as Annabeth slapped Percy's shoulder.

"Percy!" she cried. "How many times have I warned you not to take me by surprise like that? You almost gave me a heart-attack!" Percy raised an eyebrow.

"Well, pardon me for pointing this out, but it wouldn't be the first time a husband has given his wife a heart attack," he reminded her. She pursed her lips.

"Yes, but it would be the first time in a _bubble, underwater_," she growled. Percy just grinned and turned back to Rikki.

"Want to see me scare the living daylights out of your mother?" Rikki rolled her eyes. Percy sighed nonchalantly and suddenly, the bubble disappeared. Annabeth was floating in the water with a stunned expression on her face. Rikki gaped and swam over, clutching Annabeth by the wrist. She glared at Percy urgently and with an over-the-top wave of his hand, a bubble was around the three of them. Annabeth spat some salt water out of her mouth and turned to Percy.

"You-" she began, but Percy cut her off with a kiss.

"You know I'd never hurt you, Annabeth," he said, and kissed her deeper. Rikki rolled her eyes and was about to give a desperate hand gesture when she remembered that she had the ability to talk again.

"Please don't," she begged. "I don't want _another _sibling." Annabeth pulled away and cleared her throat, embarassed. "That's better," Rikki said with a smile. "We don't need another mermaid; I've already got two others to worry about." Rikki froze.

"What's wrong?" Percy inquired.

"Cleo and Emma!" Rikki muttered worriedly. "They're probably wondering where I am. Oh, great, just fantastic!" Rikki turned to her parents. "Listen, I've got to go, but I'll catch you later." She swam through the bubble (how, she didn't know) and to the surface without waiting for a response.

**()()()()()()()**

Cleo and Emma were already at the Juicenet, chatting away about the project that the three mermaids were doing together (with Lewis as well, but he was busy), when Rikki showed up. They looked up suddenly and greeted her.

"Hi," Cleo said, "where've you been? Emma and I have already come up with a ton of ideas for the project." Rikki gave a small smile.

"I've been, uh, busy," she replied. Well, it wasn't necessarily a lie. It wasn't a truth, either.

"Oh," Emma said. "Well, we were thinking that since the project is due next Tuesday, we should work on it a little bit everyday."

"Yeah, if you'll show up," Cleo teased with a smirk. Rikki rolled her eyes.

"Okay, so I got a little sidetracked," she admitted. "It won't happen again, promise."

"We believe you," Emma replied. "Now, we have all the information written out, but we need to transform that into-"

Rikki tuned out, because she saw the two people who she'd just recently left floating in the ocean watching from afar. She locked eyes with them, and various emotions overwhelmed her.

"-personally, but what do you think, Rikki?" She looked up at Cleo's question and stared blankly.

"Um, Rikki, are you feeling okay?" Emma inquired. "You've been acting kind of weird lately. Showing up late-and not very fashionably-and zoning out constantly...it's just not like you."

"I have to tell you guys something, but you have to promise not to freak out," Rikki said. Cleo and Emma nodded; they were _mermaids_. It didn't get much freakier than that. "You know all those stories about the Greek gods? Well, they're real. And they have affairs with mortals, and their children are called demigods. And...I'm adopted. My real parents are both demigods."

"Whoa!" Cleo and Emma said simultaneously.

"I don't know whether to feel sorry for you or to tell you how totally awesome that is," Emma said, "so I'm going to go with both: _I am so sorry that you are experiencing one of the most amazing things of all time_!" Rikki grinned.

"Yeah, well, there's more," she said. "I kind of told them that I was a mermaid."

"_What_?" Emma gasped. "Rikki, are you crazy? Do you know what this means? They could reveal our secret."

"And I could reveal theirs," Rikki pointed out. "Trust me, we're fine. Besides, they're my parents. Why would they do that?"

Percy and Annabeth watched Rikki talk to her friends. The expression on her face was troubled, and the two girls-one a tanned brunette, the other a straight-haired blonde-listened intently.

"What do you think she's telling them?" Annabeth asked.

"I don't know," Percy replied, pursing his lips. "But we're going to find out."


	3. Ch 3: Confrontation

Percy and Annabeth were gone the next time Rikki looked in their general direction. With a relieved sigh, she turned back to Emma and Cleo and whispered in a hasty voice, "Did you see that couple over there? The blonde girl and black-haired guy?"

"Yeah," Cleo responded, "they were impossible to miss. Stood out like a sore thumb."

Emma asked, "Who were they?" Rikki shrugged.

"My parents." Emma and Cleo gaped again.

"How is that possible?" Cleo wanted to know. "They're way too young to be your parents. That's impossible."

"They're immortal," Rikki explained. "It's like...they're still _really _old, they just don't look it."

"You're right," Emma agreed, "they really don't." Cleo sighed and closed her textbook.

"We've been talking about Rikki's parents since she got here," she said tiredly. "We only got bits and pieces of information for our project. If we don't have it done by Tuesday..."

"Relax," Rikki pleaded. "Tomorrow is a new day, anyway. I don't think my biological parents will be on my tail tomorrow, either-no pun intended." Emma bit her lip.

"Have I ever told you that you're _not funny_, Rikki?" But she smiled. "Oh, God. There's no way we're going to be able to concentrate after hearing that, Rikki."

"Sorry," Rikki apologized innocently. "You are the ones who wanted to know, remember?"

"Oh, fine then," Cleo muttered. "Blame it on us. But I agree, Rikki. Tomorrow, we're focusing on nothing but the project." She paused. "And Lewis will be here tomorrow, too."

"Right," Emma said. "It can't hurt to fill him in, can it?" Cleo glared at her.

"I think the plan is to wait until we turn the project in to tell Lewis _anything_," Rikki sighed.

"Well, that might work, if you didn't mention it every five minutes," Emma replied bitingly.

"I don't!" Rikki refused. She rolled her eyes and rose from the table. "Right. Well, I'm going home now." She picked up her bag and threw her towel over her shoulder before scooping up any supplies that belonged to her off of the table and tossing them into the bag. Emma and Cleo watched silently as Rikki walked away.

**()()()()()()()**

Mrs. Chadwick was reading a novel in the front room when Rikki came home. Watching as her daughter sat down across from her, she closed up the book and cleared her throat. Rikki rested her head in her hands and blinked.

"You're late," Mrs. Chadwick noted, breaking the silence.

"Yes," Rikki agreed. "You knew I was going to be home late. I told you, Emma, Cleo, Lewis, and I have a project that needs finishing."

"You couldn't have canceled?" Mrs. Chadwick was getting impatient. Rikki could sense it, but she just pursed her lips. Nothing like driving your adopted mum over the edge with pure nonchalance.

"Oh, well they would've been worried," Rikki replied. "I promised them I'd be there. I couldn't let them down."

"Would you forget your friends for just a minute, Rikki Chadwick?" Mrs. Chadwick spat. "Annabeth and Percy have told your father and I that you just left them, by themselves." Rikki threw her hands up in the air.

"He's a freaking _son of Poseidon_!" she wailed. "Who really cares if I left them down there alone? They're alive, aren't they?"

"That's not the point," Mrs. Chadwick said, shaking her head. "You see Emma and Cleo everyday. This is the first time since you were a baby that you have had the opportunity to spend time with your real parents and instead you run along and play with your little friends. It doesn't work that way, Rikki. I hope you know that."

"I _do_!" Rikki cried. "I spent almost an hour with the Jacksons! Is it a crime that I'm trying to get my schoolwork finished?" Rikki stormed off, not quite sure which set of parents she preferred.

Once in her room, Rikki sat at her desk and slouched. She caught sight of a small picture frame on the edge of her desk. It was white and had pink rhinestones on it, with fur sprouting from the outside edges. Definitely not Rikki's kind of thing, but it had probably been with her since she was seven or eight years old. Inside of it was a picture of the Chadwicks, smiling and laughing. Mr. Chadwick had his arm around Mrs. Chadwick, and in between them was a young Rikki, appearing no more than six, licking on an icy-pop and shielding her eyes from the sun. Rikki found herself drawn to the bright green eyes that the younger version of herself had set on the camera. Little Rikki didn't look too pleased.

With a swift movement of her hand, Rikki had knocked the girly frame off of her desk and it had fallen into the waste basket amongst the other rubbish. Rikki didn't feel like part of the family anymore. She felt like she was faced with two paths; one familiar and one new. Which path she would take was beyond her.

**()()()()()()()**

It was nearly two in the morning, but Percy lie awake and stared up at the speckled ceiling of the hotel room. Annabeth was fast asleep next to him. She looked like she didn't have a care in the world, but Percy knew better. He had known Annabeth Chase (now Jackson) for such an incredibly long amount of time that he understood her-well, sort of. The thing was, she worried tremendously but refused to show any signs of weakness. It was one of the many things that Percy loved about her-her ability to stay strong through the tough and confusing things.

Percy wasn't like his wife. He couldn't just sleep something off. Besides, he was a demigod. If he slept, he dreamt. And he hated dreaming.

Something about the way Rikki had looked at the two girls she was with at the place called the Juicenet worried Percy. The girls looked like two normal teens, and Rikki could have mentioned anything to them. If she had (without thinking, of course), a lot could be put at stake. Percy sighed and turned over, staring at his sleeping wife.

As if on cue, Annabeth's eyes opened. She rubbed them sleepily and blinked, staring at Percy. She propped herself up on her elbow and cocked her head to the side, confused. Percy just shook his head and closed his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Annabeth finally asked, then added, "Anything unusual?" He shook his head.

"Deep thoughts," he muttered.

"Hey, I was right," she commented. "That _is _pretty unusual." Percy glared at her. "What?" She became defensive. "You _are _a Seaweed Brain."

Percy rolled his eyes. He wouldn't mention his worries to Annabeth. Besides, tomorrow they were going to talk to Rikki about it. If he said anything to his wife, she would go to an extreme. Annabeth Jackson _always _went to extremes. With this information, she could quite possibly make her way to the Chadwicks' house by train, plane, or car (or Pegasus) and interrogate their daughter until she went brain-dead.

So again, Percy shook his head and didn't say anything to Annabeth. Annabeth shook his shoulder persistently, but gave up after twenty seconds and settled back into the lumpy hotel bed with an angry huff.

**()()()()()()()**

"Lewis!" Cleo yanked on Lewis' arm and pulled him towards Emma and herself. Lewis, stunned, gave the girls a confused expression.

"Do you want to tell me why you nearly ripped my arm out of its socket, or...?" Cleo narrowed her eyes.

"Listen, Rikki's been acting weird lately," she explained. Emma nodded in agreement.

"Oh," was all Lewis said.

"Oh?" Cleo repeated.

"That's all?" Emma followed. Lewis shrugged.

"I don't know," he said, "I kind of thought Rikki always acted weird." Emma rolled her eyes.

"Oh, ha-ha," she said sarcastically. "No, Lewis, really. Something's wrong with Rikki." Lewis sighed.

"Any ideas?" he asked finally.

"Well, the thing is, she sort of just found out that she's adopted," Cleo said. Lewis threw his hands up in the air, implying obviousness.

"Oh, well I wonder just what's causing her strange behavior!" he said.

"Keep it down!" Emma urged. "You're not helping. Anyway, there's more than that. Something's _up_."

"And what exactly do you want me to do about it?" Lewis asked. After a moment of silence, he raised his eyebrows. "I'm waiting, just in case you were wondering."

"Oh, I don't know!" Emma cried. "You're Mr. Know-It-All. We just figured you'd think of something, but obviously you're not capable of-"

"Hey!" Lewis interrupted. "I-I'm capable! I'm very, _very _capable. You won't find anyone with more capability than Lewis McCartney, because he is _capable_."

"Then get to work." Emma patted Lewis' shoulder and walked away with Cleo.

* * *

_**A/N: There is a reason why this is a very short chapter...actually, no there's not. But next chapter will be a compensation! Oh, and I like the idea of Rikki meeting Poseidon and Athena. I'll definitely use it, thanks! (: **_

_**So you can go now, I th...**_

_**Oh, no wait! Haha, one more thing. (You probably want to kill me right about now.) I was watching season one over again (online, of course; stupid American television cancelling amazing T.V. show in America! Hmmph!) when I was reminded that Rikki told Zane about her parents being split.**_

_**Well, crap. That went **_**right **_**over my head. So let's pretend they...um...didn't. (: **_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


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